The motion to be heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals is the latest indication of Moroun’s refusal to relent on plans to build another span known as his “enhancement project” — a proposed crossing parallel and metres to the west of his existing bridge.

Moroun’s lawyers indicated they will appeal a decision issued in February by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer that finalized a ruling last May dismissing the bridge company’s complaint against the coast guard, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Last month, the bridge company’s proposal for a new crossing entered into the final pubic feedback phase on the Canadian side, which will run until the end of April.

Moroun was able to secure environmental approval on the Canadian side, but still requires environmental clearance on the U.S. side from the coast guard, which is overseeing that process.

Windsor’s city council has hired Toronto environmental lawyer David Estrin to assemble its opposition in writing. The city has opposed Moroun’s latest crossing proposal because of environmental and traffic concerns.

Council instead has thrown its support behind the planned $2.1-billion Detroit River International Crossing project that will link the industrial communities of Brighton Beach and Delray.

dbattagello@windsorstar.com

Find Windsor Star on Facebook]]>http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/morouns-lawyers-file-u-s-court-appeal-in-bid-to-secure-twin-span-permit/feed0The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority formally opened its new $22 million public dock and terminal Monday July 18, 2011, in the Detroit, MI. Here Matty Moroun, owner of the Ambassador Bridge is shown at the event. (DAN JANISSE / The Windsor Star)dbattagelloHas Detroit’s mayor worked out deal with Moroun?http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/has-detroits-mayor-worked-out-deal-with-moroun
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/has-detroits-mayor-worked-out-deal-with-moroun#commentsWed, 04 Mar 2015 23:17:17 +0000http://blogs.windsorstar.com/?p=448382]]>Political leaders are questioning whether Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has agreed to a deal with Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun over a vital piece of city-owned land needed for Moroun’s twin-span proposal.

Riverside Park, which sits on the riverfront underneath the bridge in Detroit, is needed by Moroun before he can get U.S. environmental approvals for his “enhancement project” — a new six-lane cable-stayed bridge to Windsor that would run parallel to the existing bridge.

Former Michigan state representative and community leader Rashida Tlaib is concerned Moroun has convinced Duggan to either agree to a deal that gives the park to Moroun or at least provide air rights over the park.

She’s concerned the cash-strapped city may be looking to profit from the asset.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan speaks with the media at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, January 8, 2015. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Duggan’s office told The Star Wednesday it would be “several weeks” before the mayor’s office would respond to questions of a possible Moroun deal.

“This is something we hope to arrange soon, but unfortunately right now the mayor’s schedule doesn’t allow for it for the next several weeks,” an official with the mayor’s office said in an email. “He is booked.”

Any potential deal would still need approval from Detroit’s city council.

Bridge company president Dan Stamper did not respond Wednesday to a message from The Star.

Tlaib has already launched a petition expressing her concerns about a potential deal for the critical park property.

“This is not a company with a tremendous amount of integrity,” she said. “Why even host a conversation on this with a company that’s not going to be able to land (a twin span) in Canada. Why give away this resource that belongs to our community?”

The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead agency overseeing the U.S. environmental assessment process for Moroun’s proposal. The Coast Guard has refused to grant final approval because Moroun does not have control of all the land required in Detroit for the project — largely Riverside Park.

Tlaib’s petition is addressed to the Coast Guard, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Park Service. She has urged those near the bridge to add their opposition “to the Ambassador Bridge Company’s future use of our public park.”

“We want the U.S. Federal Government to be on full alert that we are very concerned with recent speculation by local elected officials in Detroit that Riverside Park would be sold,” the petition states. “As community members, we are strongly invested in the restoration of access to Riverside Park. We respectfully oppose any attempt to take away Riverside Park or limit the public’s use of it and we request a public hearing be held before any decision is made.”

Matty Moroun, owner of the Ambassador Bridge, is shown in this file photo. (DAN JANISSE / The Windsor Star)

In Canada last week, Moroun’s proposal entered into the final public feedback stage under Transport Canada which will extend until the end of April.

Windsor’s city council has hired high-profile Toronto lawyer David Estrin to assemble its opposition in writing to the project. Council has cited fears of traffic and environmental impacts on nearby neighbourhoods — including how it would divide the west-end Sandwich community from the rest of the city.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has been critical of Moroun and is leading the fight to secure construction of the new government-backed Detroit River International Crossing bridge that would compete with Moroun’s privately owned crossing.

A spokesman indicated Snyder’s office would not be privy to whether Duggan has agreed to a deal with Moroun.

“I’m not aware that the state is included in such discussions,” said spokesman Dave Murray. “We are focused on the work surrounding the (DRIC bridge), which is a significant infrastructure project that, with our partners in Canada, will provide tremendous benefit to both countries.”

Find Windsor Star on Facebook]]>http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/has-detroits-mayor-worked-out-deal-with-moroun/feed0An artist rendering for the Ambassador Bridge Enhancement Project depicts a second span across the Detroit River. (Courtesy of the Ambassador Bridge Enhancement Project)dbattagelloDetroit Mayor Mike Duggan speaks with the media at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, January 8, 2015. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)Ambassador Bridge president Dan Stamper appears Thursday, Mar. 22, 2012, in the Wayne County Circuit court in Detroit, MI. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star)Matty Moroun, owner of the Ambassador Bridge, is shown in this file photo. (DAN JANISSE / The Windsor Star)Bridge, tunnel may see traffic slowdown into U.S. starting this weekendhttp://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/bridge-tunnel-may-see-traffic-slowdown-into-u-s-starting-this-weekend
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/bridge-tunnel-may-see-traffic-slowdown-into-u-s-starting-this-weekend#commentsWed, 25 Feb 2015 23:32:37 +0000http://blogs.windsorstar.com/?p=445068]]>Commuters, truckers and tourists attempting to cross the border into Detroit may be facing a huge slowdown by the end of this week thanks to a political battle in Washington that has U.S. Department of Homeland Security facing a partial shutdown.

The department’s employees require passage of new funding legislation by Congress or they will stop receiving their pay starting at midnight Friday.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers at both the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor tunnel are impacted, but legislation requires them to report for work — as an essential service — even though they will not be getting paid during the impasse.

There are over 230,000 employees for Homeland Security across the U.S., including about 50,000 border patrol officers.

Once the funding impasse is resolved the workers will receive all back pay to which they are entitled.

“Many of our employees live paycheque to paycheque, so even a one-week delay in getting paid could mean the difference between buying groceries or paying the rent,” said David Cox, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees which represents the workers.

“The best course of action is for Congress to pass a bill that keeps DHS open and operating without any impact on the workforce.”

But should the issue not be resolved, those from the Canadian side crossing the border into the U.S. should anticipate longer lineups and crossing times starting early Saturday. Slowdowns occurred during a similar impasse in 2013.

The American side of the Windsor-Detroit tunnel is pictured in this 2012 file photo. (PAUL SANCYA/AP Photo)

There are at least 6,000 commuters and students from the Windsor area who cross into Detroit every weekday.

“U.S. and Canadian border security is paramount to both nations and we’re sure this will be worked out,” said Neal Belitsky, president for the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. “That said, we will work closely with customs on addressing any issues.”

About 8,000 trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge each day and there are fears trade and just-in-time delivery could be impacted by the stalemate in Washington, said Jennifer Fox, vice-president of trade and security for the Ontario Trucking Association.

“Border delays are bad for everybody,” she said. “Obviously, if there are delays it will have a negative impact on all trade partners and drivers will be the first to feel it.”

It would be “a shame” if border traffic is delayed by the funding dispute given recent efforts to speed up trade across the Canada-U.S. border, Fox said.

“There has been a lot of hard work to streamline the border,” she said. “There has been so much effort to ensure these delays don’t happen, so hopefully they will get this sorted out.”

But should slowdowns occur, the trucking association will be involved in monitoring all border crossings across Ontario and may play a role in redirecting shipments where there are the fewest delays, she said.

“We will be watching closely,” Fox said.

The Homeland Security department’s funding legislation is part of a larger bill that includes new immigration rules which has led to the political impasse.

John Boehner, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives speaker, said he is willing to let Homeland Security funding lapse as part of a Republican push to roll back U.S. President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

There was hope this week for a resolution before the deadline after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said he was prepared to hold a vote on a separate bill to fund the Homeland Security department through the end of the fiscal year without any immigration provisions attached.

Windsor-Essex Chamber CEO Matt Marchand said Wednesday it was “too early to tell” what economic impact may occur should U.S. customs officers remain on the job in Detroit without pay.

“We definitely are monitoring it,” Marchand said. “Based on some of the reports, there is a movement for a standalone bill to secure funding. We are hopeful, but whether that happens remains to be seen.”

Find Windsor Star on Facebook]]>http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/bridge-tunnel-may-see-traffic-slowdown-into-u-s-starting-this-weekend/feed0The Ambassador Bridge sign is pictured in this 2010 file photo. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)dbattagelloThe American side of the Windsor-Detroit tunnel is pictured in this 2012 file photo. (PAUL SANCYA/AP Photo)Detroit’s iconic train station said to be getting new windowshttp://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/detroit-eyesore-owned-by-moroun-said-to-be-getting-new-windows
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/detroit-eyesore-owned-by-moroun-said-to-be-getting-new-windows#commentsWed, 25 Feb 2015 21:49:41 +0000http://blogs.windsorstar.com/?p=444426]]>Detroit’s most infamous abandoned relic — the former Michigan Central train station — is reportedly on the verge of getting 1,000 new windows.

The hulking structure — which Amtrak closed and abandoned in 1988 — has been owned for nearly two decades by Ambassador Bridge owner and billionaire businessman Matty Moroun.

He has made repeated promises to renovate the prominent 18-floor building, but little has changed over the years.

The latest pitch would see Chamberlain Glass & Metal under an agreement with Moroun’s company get started on installing windows on over 1,000 openings throughout the building.

“Work in preparing the openings for the new window system has already begun and will continue over the next few months as the replacement windows are fabricated,” said the company in a press release.

“Although much work has already been completed and will continue, it will still be a few more months before the finished product will be seen by admirers of this building.”

Windows have begun to appear in the Michigan Central Station in Detroit on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. Long the poster of urban decay in the city of Detroit the building is now seeing some repair work. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Michigan Central was built in 1913 at a cost of $15 million and at the time was the tallest train station in the world. The architectural agency was the same which designed New York’s Grand Central Station.

It is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

The former train station has remained a primary attraction for thrill-seekers and those wanting a close-up view of one of Detroit’s many tarnished and abandoned structures. It has served in recent years as a backdrop for several music videos and Hollywood movies including Transformers, released in 2007.

The structure, which sits just east of the Ambassador Bridge, is easily visible from Windsor’s riverfront across from Assumption Park.

Asbestos has been recently removed from the historic building, some interior lights have been installed and a new freight elevator is now operational.

Windows have begun to appear in the Michigan Central Station in Detroit on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. Long the poster of urban decay in the city of Detroit the building is now seeing some repair work. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Michigan Central was built in 1913 at a cost of $15 million and at the time was the tallest train station in the world. The architectural agency was the same which designed New York’s Grand Central Station.

It is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

In 2003, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick touted the building to be converted into headquarters for Detroit police. It was also pitched in the late 1990s to become a hotel and casino complex. Other development ideas have included conversion into a commercial market centre.

None of the development ideas panned out and the building under Moroun’s watch has continued to deteriorate.

The interior has been stripped and ravaged by graffiti artists, scrap scavengers and other trespassers. Moroun’s company has estimated in the past the structure would take at least $100 million to renovate.

He has refused to tear it down despite requests from Detroit’s city council and it has instead remained as a monument to the city’s blight and decay.

Moroun’s company announced the latest train station renovation plan on Monday – the same day his bridge company’s challenge to stop construction of the $2.1-billion Detroit River International Crossing project was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court.

It has been projected the new government-backed downriver Windsor-Detroit bridge will divert up to 75 per cent of traffic and tolls away from Moroun’s bridge.

Find Windsor Star on Facebook]]>http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/detroit-eyesore-owned-by-moroun-said-to-be-getting-new-windows/feed0Often the poster child for urban decay the Michigan Central Station is photographed in Detroit on Thursday, March 24, 2011. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)dbattagelloWindows have begun to appear in the Michigan Central Station in Detroit on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. Long the poster of urban decay in the city of Detroit the building is now seeing some repair work. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)Windows have begun to appear in the Michigan Central Station in Detroit on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. Long the poster of urban decay in the city of Detroit the building is now seeing some repair work. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)Private sector to take on financial risk of building new Windsor-Detroit bridgehttp://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/private-sector-to-take-on-financial-risk-of-building-new-windsor-detroit-bridge
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/private-sector-to-take-on-financial-risk-of-building-new-windsor-detroit-bridge#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 00:15:12 +0000http://blogs.windsorstar.com/?p=442394]]>Canada’s taxpayers are essentially done paying for construction of the planned Detroit River bridge.

The risk and the costs of construction – including the projected $250 million for a U.S. Customs plaza in Detroit – will soon belong to private sector investors who will be retained to build, operate and maintain the $2.1-billion Detroit River International Crossing project.

A public-private partnership – also known as a P3 – will be formed to build the plazas, bridge and feeder roads in Windsor and Detroit for the international crossing.

“The company that builds this is the company that finances it,” said University of Windsor Prof. Bill Anderson, director of the school’s cross-border institute. “After that, they have the right to collect the tolls and get all the money.”

Nearly all major infrastructure projects today are being constructed through P3s and the DRIC bridge is no exception, Anderson said.

“Instead of government, somebody else will build the bridge and you allow them to get the revenues for a certain period of time,” he said. “This is the way big infrastructure is being done, especially in Europe. It is the wave of the future.”

Canadian Transport Minister Lisa Raitt tried to explain this last Wednesday when the U.S. Customs plaza deal was announced, but her message was overshadowed by the Obama administration’s refusal to pay for it.

The deal means the cost will be rolled into the overall tab for a potential builder, Anderson said. “This project now includes the U.S. plaza, so whoever builds this bridge will need more money for that.”

The Canadian government tried but failed to reduce the cost to potential private investors by getting Washington to pay for the U.S. Customs plaza. The added $250 million makes the project somewhat less attractive because it will take longer for investors to recoup their money.

There are pros and cons to any P3 project, said Anderson. In this case, the Canadian government is forgoing toll revenues to get a private partner to take on the financial risk.

“This will encourage (the investor) to get things done quickly,” Anderson said. “They cannot get any toll money from this until it’s done.”

In this file photo, Michigan’s top federal politicians are calling on U.S. President Barack Obama to appoint a “senior” White House official to ensure the $1-billion downriver Windsor-Detroit bridge soon gets built.

How long the private investors will collect tolls “has not yet been determined, but could be for a 30- to 50-year period,” said Mark Butler, spokesman for Transport Canada. “We will not know the actual length until we seek bids for the project. The duration of (toll collection by the private investors) will also be dependent on financial conditions, capital costs, and the economic environment when the deal closes.”

It’s too early to say whether the added cost will influence toll rates, Butler said. “However, the toll rates will be competitive with other crossings in the region.”

Also, no decision has been made about whether to have duty free sales of goods and gas, and who will get those revenues, said Mark McQueen, chairman of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the federal government entity assigned to oversee bridge construction.

“The costs of both plazas will be recouped from future toll revenue, as with the cost of the bridge itself,” McQueen said. “The WDBA can now move to the next steps in the project, specifically additional property purchase and design on the U.S. side.”

The authority will also issue a request for qualifications calling on global corporate players interested in taking on the bridge project to submit their credentials, preliminary designs, cost estimates and construction details. That is likely to generate at least a dozen bids.

The WDBA will create a shortlist of three or four finalists. These will then be asked to prepare final bids which will include every detail down to who will provide the nuts and bolts.

The winning bidder will be responsible for paying all construction costs for the bridge, plazas and feeder roads on both sides of the border.

MP Jeff Watson, left, at podium during annoucement of appointments to International Authority and Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority during a press conference at Canadian Club Heritage Centre located at Hiram Walker’s July 30, 2014. William Graham, left, Birgit M. Klohs, Michael Cautillo, Kristine Burr, Matt Rizik, Mark McQueen, Caroline Mulroney and Michael D. Hayes, right, were named to the authorities. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

There are some costs, however, that are being covered by Canadian taxpayers. The federal government last year budgeted $631 million over two years for the project. Those funds are largely to be used for utility relocation and site preparation in Windsor, plus property acquisition and site clearing in Detroit.

There are also ongoing staffing costs for the WDBA, which has set up operations in Windsor to oversee selection of a contractor and guide the project’s construction.

Once the bridge is completed there will be long-term expenses for the federal government, such as providing Canada Customs services at the crossing. Under the deal announced last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will pay for its staffing costs at the DRIC bridge estimated to be $50 million annually.

Find Windsor Star on Facebook]]>http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/private-sector-to-take-on-financial-risk-of-building-new-windsor-detroit-bridge/feed0The site of the proposed Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) is pictured in this 2010 aerial photo. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)dbattagelloIn this file photo, Michigan's top federal politicians are calling on U.S. President Barack Obama to appoint a "senior" White House official to ensure the $1-billion downriver Windsor-Detroit bridge soon gets built.MP Jeff Watson, left, at podium during annoucement of appointments to International Authority and Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority during a press conference at Canadian Club Heritage Centre located at Hiram Walker's July 30, 2014. William Graham, left, Birgit M. Klohs, Michael Cautillo, Kristine Burr, Matt Rizik, Mark McQueen, Caroline Mulroney and Michael D. Hayes, right, were named to the authorities. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)Jarvis: The Motor City steadfastly battling backhttp://blogs.windsorstar.com/opinion/jarvis-steadfastly-battling-back
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/opinion/jarvis-steadfastly-battling-back#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 23:30:38 +0000http://blogs.windsorstar.com/?p=438902]]>Two hundred derelict houses are coming down in Detroit every week. A thousand new streetlights are going up every week. More than 200 parks have reopened. Eighty new buses are hitting the streets. The murder rate is the lowest since the 1960s, though there are still too many, and carjackings have plummeted 32 per cent. Vacant houses are being bought, renovated and occupied; property values in 25 neighbourhoods have actually risen.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s State of the City address this week was full of remarkable numbers. The once-great metropolis, our close friend and neighbour, is steadfastly battling its way back. It’s fascinating, nerve-racking and heartening to watch.

Interestingly, Duggan had no grand vision or major announcement to save the Motor City. The extraordinary revitalization downtown wasn’t even mentioned. Because that alone won’t bring Detroit back. Ordinary people will bring Motown back, and Duggan is going after them.

A view of Downtown Detroit looking south on Woodward Avenue is shown in this 2013 file photo. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

This city had 1.7 million people several decades ago. Now it has 680,000, less than half that. Its population is hemorrhaging. While the rejuvenated downtown is impressive, the criticism has been that it hasn’t reached the rest of Detroit.

So Duggan has set his sights on neighbourhoods, where regular people live, and the basic services they expect. People don’t want to live in a place that looks like a war zone. And when they call the police, they count on them to show up. This speech, Duggan’s second, and the first since Detroit emerged from bankruptcy and the control of an emergency manager, was all about fundamentals.

A report listed an astounding 80,000 houses to be demolished when Duggan took office a year ago. About 3,500 have been torn down, and 4,000 more will be by August. He’d do more, he quipped to the crowd at elegant old Redford Theater, but he can’t get enough dirt to fill the holes.

But if you’re trying to stabilize neighbourhoods, why not fix up houses and get people to move in, he thought.

“There are beautiful houses in this city,” he said, “solid brick homes with architecture that can be saved. We don’t have to knock everything down.”

This house at 1737 Chicago Blvd in Detroit, MI. is shown on Wednesday, May 22, 2014. The house is one of many that are being auctioned off online as part of a neighbourhood repopulation project. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star)

So he forced owners of derelict homes to fix them up or sign them over to the city. About 350 owners are repairing their houses. Another 250 were given to the city.

“People didn’t think we could sell these houses,” Duggan said.

The city has been auctioning two a day online. About 168 have sold. These new owners, too, are repairing them and moving in. In Marygrove, a once-beautiful neighbourhood, 120 houses were supposed to be demolished. Now, ninety are being saved.

An $8-million fund will provide low income families and neighbourhoods with loans to pay for renovations.

The city also cut taxes by up to 20 per cent so more people could afford to stay in their homes. It got a state law changed to lower the interest rate charged on back taxes. Three weeks after the law came into effect, 6,000 families had agreed to stay.

“We want you to stay,” Duggan said.

If your taxes are paid and you have a vacant lot next to your house, you can buy it for $100. About 600 people have bought lots. One family put in a horseshoe pit and basketball and volleyball courts. The lot has become a gathering place.

Jimmie Maul, from Britt Heinz Tree Service, uses an excavator to remove mulch from what used to be neighbourhood trees in the Brightmoor neighbourhood in West Detroit, Wednesday, August 14 , 2013. Blighted houses and their surrounding trees were torn down in an effort to help the neighbour that has been hit especially hard with blight. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Thirty-five thousand streetlights have been replaced, and the rest will be in by June, 18 months ahead of schedule.

With all those new buses, for the first time in almost 20 years, “we’re going to show up according to the published schedule that we give you,” Duggan said.

The average response time for an ambulance in Detroit last year was 18 minutes, the slowest in the U.S. It was “embarrassing,” Duggan said. “People’s lives were at risk.”

Now, the city has doubled the number of ambulances, and hired 100 more paramedics. That time has been cut to 11 minutes. When the newest recruits start, the time will be close to the national average of eight minutes.

There are 200 more police officers on the streets, some new hires and some pulled from behind desks. The response time for police has plummeted from 37 minutes to 17.

A Detroit merchandise store sign is seen in a window in downtown Detroit July 19, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Duggan recited myriad other measures, including prenatal health care, skilled trades training, loans for new businesses and even, possibly, municipally-run car insurance to fight “unbelievable” premiums that are double the average in the rest of the country.

All this, and Detroit will balance its budget for the first time in 13 years. That got the longest of many standing ovations.

Of course it has had lots of help – from the federal and state governments, foundations and philanthropists. Vice-president Joe Biden got the buses. The new ambulances were donated by businessmen including Dan Gilbert and Roger Penske. When you’re the biggest city in the country to go bankrupt, you get a lot of attention.

Despite extraordinary progress, this won’t be easy and it won’t be quick. There have been obstacles at every turn. When the house auction began, some deals couldn’t close because the property values were so low that banks couldn’t provide loans for the repairs. Money for demolition is also running out.

But this is what it’s going to take. And for a guy with one of the hardest jobs around, Duggan remains upbeat.

Find Windsor Star on Facebook]]>http://blogs.windsorstar.com/opinion/jarvis-steadfastly-battling-back/feed0Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan speaks with the media at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, January 8, 2015. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)winstarjarvisA view of Downtown Detroit looking south on Woodward Avenue is shown in this 2013 file photo. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)This house at 1737 Chicago Blvd in Detroit, MI. is shown on Wednesday, May 22, 2014. The house is one of many that are being auctioned off online as part of a neighbourhood repopulation project. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star) Jimmie Maul, from Britt Heinz Tree Service, uses an excavator to remove mulch from what used to be neighbourhood trees in the Brightmoor neighbourhood in West Detroit, Wednesday, August 14 , 2013. Blighted houses and their surrounding trees were torn down in an effort to help the neighbour that has been hit especially hard with blight. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)A Detroit merchandise store sign is seen in a window in downtown Detroit July 19, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) Masse ‘disappointed’ federal government poised to pay for U.S. customs plazahttp://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/masse-disappointed-federal-government-poised-to-pay-for-u-s-customs-plaza
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/masse-disappointed-federal-government-poised-to-pay-for-u-s-customs-plaza#commentsThu, 05 Feb 2015 02:55:24 +0000http://blogs.windsorstar.com/?p=435674]]>Local MP Brian Masse (NDP—Windsor-West) wanted answers Wednesday to where the extra money is coming from should Canada pick up the $250-million tab for a new U.S. customs plaza in Detroit.

Federal government sources indicated this week that Canada is poised to pay full costs for the plaza as part of the $2.1-billion Detroit River International Crossing project.

Canada previously agreed to essentially pay all other construction costs for the new Windsor-Detroit bridge.

Masse demanded during question period in Ottawa for Transport Minister Lisa Raitt to explain why Canada is paying for U.S. customs facilities in the first place — and the added cost implications for taxpayers.

“Since Canadians have become the sole financier of the project, will the minister come clean and tell Canadians how this will affect tolls? Masse said. “Will Canadians get their money back with interest — and how long will that take?”

A heated response came not from Raitt, but instead fellow local MP Jeff Watson (C—Essex) who criticized Masse for voting against the recent federal budget which included $630 million to get the DRIC project started.

“If the member wants to actually support the (DRIC), he should try voting for it for once in this House,” he said.

Masse countered by saying it was a “bad budget” which “left Canadians behind” and then took aim at Watson for his previous statement when he vowed, “we are not paying for a U.S. customs plaza.”

“These are his own words — eat them now,” Masse said.

No answers were provided during the testy exchange on the financial implications of adding another $250 million to the Canadian price tag for the bridge project.

The federal government long ago previously committed to paying $550 million for the state of Michigan’s share for the DRIC project.

Masse indicated afterwards, his party will begin researching the impact of the added costs on taxpayers and what it might mean in potentially higher tolls once the bridge opens.

“I’m not happy about this,” he said. “I’m disappointed because we warned them about this and raised it many times.”

Having nearly completed the $1.4-billion Herb Gray Parkway in Windsor is another reason the Canadian government — which paid half the costs — was forced to bend and pay for the U.S. customs plaza or risk having the parkway be a “road to nowhere,” Masse said.

“There was no leverage,” he said. “Now we have a (binational) project where all the money is being fronted by ourselves.”

A Transport Canada spokesman cautioned Wednesday that nothing yet has been finalized in terms of Canada paying for the customs plaza.

“While discussions are ongoing, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority and Transport Canada continue to work with the U.S. inspection agencies to confirm specific requirements for the U.S. Port of Entry and how it will be incorporated into the public-private partnership arrangement,” said Mark Butler.

“Transport Canada will not speculate on the outcome of the ongoing discussions.”

Find Windsor Star on Facebook]]>http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/masse-disappointed-federal-government-poised-to-pay-for-u-s-customs-plaza/feed0BridgedbattagelloObama’s budget proposal again fails to include funds for DRIC bridgehttp://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/obamas-budget-proposal-again-fails-to-include-funds-for-dric-bridge
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/obamas-budget-proposal-again-fails-to-include-funds-for-dric-bridge#commentsTue, 03 Feb 2015 02:18:18 +0000http://blogs.windsorstar.com/?p=434381]]>U.S. President Barack Obama’s proposed $3.99-trillion budget for the upcoming fiscal year released Monday features increased spending, but still no money needed to pay for a customs plaza for the planned Detroit River bridge.

One of the hurdles which could delay construction of the Detroit River International Crossing is the required $250 million needed for a U.S. customs plaza in Detroit.

Canada is essentially paying all other costs for the $2.1-billion project that will link the downriver industrial communities of Brighton Beach and Delray. The new Canada-U.S. bridge is scheduled to open in 2020.

“I am very disappointed that the president’s budget allocates no funding for the (DRIC bridge) in Detroit,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D—Detroit), a leader in the battle to keep the international crossing project on schedule.

“This is a project that will create thousands of Michigan jobs, enhance trade with Canada — our closest trading partner — and transform Michigan into a transportation and logistics hub for trade, manufacturing and innovation.”

Canada’s transportation minister Lisa Raitt has promised the bridge will open on schedule whether or not the Obama administration pitches in for the U.S. customs plaza.

“Our government will not let financing affect project timelines,” Ashley Kelahear, spokeswoman for Raitt, said Monday. “Discussions are ongoing on financing.”

The budget will still need to be debated in Washington and receive approval from Congress.

Funds for the plaza need to be included under the U.S. Homeland Security portion of the budget.

Peters, elected last fall to replace longtime Detroit-area Sen. Carl Levin, is a newly selected member of the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee.

“I will continue working with Congress, the Obama administration, the Snyder administration and Canadian government to pursue all options to ensure funding for construction and staffing of the customs plaza,” Peters said.

Find Windsor Star on Facebook]]>http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/obamas-budget-proposal-again-fails-to-include-funds-for-dric-bridge/feed0U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his budget proposal, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci)dbattagelloImpact of new bridge construction leaves Delray community fearful, want job guaranteeshttp://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/impact-of-new-bridge-construction-leaves-delray-community-fearful-want-job-guarantees
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/impact-of-new-bridge-construction-leaves-delray-community-fearful-want-job-guarantees#commentsTue, 27 Jan 2015 02:49:09 +0000http://blogs.windsorstar.com/?p=431376]]>Residents in Delray, Mich., remain worried that those in charge of the planned Windsor-Detroit bridge will do little to help mitigate damage to their community or provide jobs during the massive construction effort.

The $2.1-billion Detroit River International Crossing project is in the planning phase with property acquisition already underway in the southwest Detroit industrial community to make room for the bridge, plaza and feeder roads.

But community leaders are frustrated because nobody overseeing the project is providing guarantees the community’s concerns will be addressed, that people will simply be displaced and their neighbourhoods turned into a giant trucking plaza.

“There have been hundreds of meetings, a lot of talk, but nothing in writing on community benefits,” said former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a leader in the fight to ensure Delray’s residents are treated fairly during bridge construction. “The constant pushing back has people starting to distrust the process.”

Nobody from Detroit has a seat at the table with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which will oversee construction, or the six-member International Authority it reports to on the project.

“It sends a message to the community that no one wants to hear from them,” said Tlaib, who herself has reached out several times and been unable to get direct answers.

She wants to see in writing some form of job guarantees, community greening plans and how exactly residents are to be treated in regards to relocation.

“We are eager to see this move forward, but in a way where the community is at the table,” Tlaib said. “This community has learned so much from dealing with the Ambassador Bridge and Matty Moroun that it’s critical to have promises in writing.”

WDBA officials indicated Monday they are paying attention to the community concerns being expressed in Delray.

“Over the course of the project, the WDBA will undertake public outreach activities and consultation with the host community and stakeholders to ensure that they are engaged throughout the procurement, construction and operations phases of the project,” said Michael Cautillo, CEO of the WDBA.

The WDBA will also ensure the project’s private sector operator will be required to have systems in place to address community concerns, he said.

“In order to promote community benefits for the DRIC project, the WDBA will ask the private-sector bidders to include as part of their proposals a plan as to how the community would be involved in the project’s operations both during the construction period and the operations period,” Cautillo said.

During the evaluation of bidders to build and operate the project, the WDBA will factor “the use of local labour, suppliers and materials, plus local job training initiatives (including apprenticeship programs) in the bids,” he said.

Tlaib was term-limited to eight years in Lansing and was unable to run for re-election in November.

Rep. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), who replaced Tlaib this month, described it as a “big concern” how nobody from the bridge project is providing timelines on when Delray residents can expect to be displaced or not yet provided any written job commitments.

“We have seen too many examples in Detroit where promises were made on jobs and not come through,” said Chang. “We want something legally binding not only on jobs, but also on quality-of life benefits and (limiting) potential environmental impacts.”

She was hopeful a special neighbourhood advisory committee in Delray — recently formed by Detroit’s city council — will become the community contact for WDBA or others leading the bridge project on any issue impacting Delray.

“I hope they will be willing to sit down with them,” Chang said. “It is early in the game, but we want more consultation and transparency on what’s happening when – especially with the buyouts.”

Peters was instrumental in helping lead the fight in 2013 to remove massive amounts of the black oil sands byproduct being stored on the riverfront in Detroit.

The amendment also calls for enhanced oversight of aging pipelines within the Great Lakes waterway.

The measures, if approved, would amend legislation currently before the U.S. Senate authorizing construction of the Keystone pipeline that would transport Alberta oil across the U.S.

“Between the health and environmental risks that were posed by petcoke stored along the Detroit River and the oil spill near Kalamazoo, (people in Michigan) know the consequences of poorly stored petcoke and pipeline leaks all too well,” Peters said. “These amendments will give us the information needed to better understand the risks posed by the Keystone XL Pipeline.”

The amendments would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a study on the potential environmental impact and best practices for transportation, storage and handling of petcoke.

Peters and Stabenow will next work with leaders from the Energy and Natural Resources Committee who are managing the bill on the floor and will negotiate which amendments under the Keystone legislation are brought to the full Senate.

Four-storey black piles of petcoke being stored just east of the Ambassador Bridge nearly two years ago often blew into the river and nearby residential areas – including Windsor – triggering fears of health and environmental impacts.

Find Windsor Star on Facebook]]>http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/michigan-senators-want-petcoke-studied-before-keystone-pipeline-approved/feed0In this file photo, U.S. Congressman Gary Peters held a press conference in Detroit on Tuesday, May 28, 2013. Peters wanted to call attention to the piles of petcoke along the Detroit River. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)dbattagello